RIMA International Celebrates 40 Years

In 1978 Don Roy (Roy & Son’s), Pat Mascari (Infra) and Robert Dittemore (Superior) met in a hotel restaurant in Los Angeles to discuss forming an industry trade association for their products. It was decided to name the association the Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association (RIMA).

These original three members were invited to Washington, DC, in 1979 to participate in the DOE/FTC hearings on insulation products. They were joined by RIMA member Raymond Urias of A.I.M. and together represented reflectives at the event. At the completion of the hearings, the Federal Trade Commission published what was to become known as the “R-Value Rule”. This rule still governs the way all insulation products and radiant barriers are packaged, tested, and sold today.

RIMA went international in 2007 when the first international gathering took place in Paris, France. There were 11 different countries represented at the event where guests were able to share how reflectives were being used and tested, how they were incorporated into building codes and the various hurdles being encountered. The event was such a success, the International Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Conference (I-RIM Conference) was born and is now held every two years in various locations around the world.

RIMA-I members are still very active in ASTM, ASHRAE, ICC and IBC participating in code development/changes and participating in meetings and code hearings throughout the year. In 2018 the Advanced Building Code Coalition (ABCC – www.advancedbuildingcodecoalition.org) was created to allow companies that are not reflective manufacturers to support and take a more active role in the codes teaming together to have a stronger presence and make a bigger impact within the building codes.

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March/April 2019

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